Insanity finding in killing of son

A jury yesterday found a Wellington woman who drowned her 11-month-old boy and tried to kill her four-year-old daughter not guilty by reason of insanity.

In the High Court at Wellington, charges of murder and attempted murder against the 40-year-old woman were amended to infanticide and attempted infanticide when the session began.

Justice Goddard said the evidence did not support murder or the lesser charge of manslaughter, and infanticide was what the jury must consider.

The woman had pleaded not guilty to the murder and attempted murder charges.

The jury's verdict was not guilty by reason of insanity brought on by childbirth.

The woman had taken the children to the Ruamahanga River, in the Wairarapa, on October 18 last year after visiting her mother.

She planned to kill them and herself in the fast-flowing river.

The boy, whom she put on a car booster seat, floated down the river and drowned.

Changing her mind, she took the girl out of the water and drove back to her mother's Hutt Valley house, intending to ask for money to travel to Perth. Her mother phoned the police.

Three psychiatrists - one called by the defence, one by the Crown and the other by the court - agreed that the woman had been insane at the time. They said the insanity had been the result of childbirth and/or the effects of lactation.

The three psychiatrists diagnosed psychotic depression.

In closing arguments, both crown prosecutor Ken Stone and defence lawyer Helen Cull, QC, said it was up to the jury to decide whether they agreed with the psychiatrists.

If they did, the appropriate verdict should be one of not guilty of infanticide and attempted infanticide by reason of insanity.

Justice Goddard told the jury that such a case was rare.

It was also unusual for three expert witnesses, all called by different sides, to agree.

After the verdict, Justice Goddard ordered the woman to be detained in psychiatric care.

Earlier, she told the jury it was probable that the woman would remain in a psychiatric hospital for the foreseeable future.

The woman had been in a medium secure unit at Porirua Hospital since her arrest.

Justice Goddard granted permanent suppression of the woman's name, family members and details of her personal history.

- NZPA